


Hiding

by seldomabsent



Category: Death Stranding (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:49:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27861833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seldomabsent/pseuds/seldomabsent
Summary: Helping was something Sam always did, and eventually, he decided that porting was the best way to help.
Relationships: Sam Porter Bridges/Higgs Monaghan
Kudos: 11





	Hiding

Helping was something Sam always did, and eventually, he decided that porting was the best way to help.

It helped him keep his distance with other people, enjoy the quiet of the empty sights, allow his mind to wander from everything the world as become.. All the while providing for others. It became one of the few reasons to wake up and keep going for through - for Amelie, and now, Lou.

As much as he appreciated the gratitude and kindness of the people he came to meet, this feeling of getting closer to find his sister - sometimes, like everyone, he could have bad days. Days he wished he would have stayed in bed. Days where he would fall, drop his cargo, unwillingly push Lou in BTs territories, not think of checking the rain or end up facing MULEs.. And today, he did pretty much of every of these.

Not daring to think what could go even more wrong, he cursed under his breath as the otter hood grew for the third time on his head. He could see the distro center from here, down in the valley - it was right there! Just a few more minutes!

But the sudden wet clouds and the heaviness on his tensed shoulders begged him to take a break. And he complied, he let a shaky breath of relief at the sight of a little cave and decided to hide there till the storm passed. Maybe catch on some sleep. Taking in a deep breath from the moist fresh air, he pushed himself inside the dark hiding.

Almost crawling, he stopped not far from the entrance, putting his cargo down and sitting down to watch the rainfall. He lied his back against the cold stone wall. The cave was dark, darker than he would have thought, the deepness of it swallowing any lights managing to pass through.

Yet, even through the somber view, he saw, too late, but he saw it - a golden smile smirking at him from within the darkness.

There, deep in the shelter, it was almost mocking him as his blood pressure fasten, the deafening sound in his ear making him tense up. He crawled as far as he could from his already against-the-wall back. It occurred to him that particular pointy stones were hurting his back but he was too focused on the spark looking at him through the darkness of the cave.

He thought for a second it was another awake nightmare, but as he forced his eyes in the obscurity - he could take in the form of the stripped cape and long hood. They seemed tattered, the large dark BB pod on his chest disturbingly dark with the crossed arms over it.

Higgs was truly there, sat comfortably and mocking him with his usual self-exuberance.

How long has he been here? Did he just jump here and was trying to scare Sam out of his skin? Playing with his nerves and driving him crazy with paranoia? He scoffed slightly under his breath. There was really no time to deal with the man who decided to make his life more difficult than it already was - and they were pretty much stuck in this small hideout from the timefall.

He feared the fight was inevitable.

And still, through the anxiety and Lou’s incoherent mumbling, he couldn’t help but notice the lack of self-righteous monologue and preaching for his mass murders. He frowned and lightly let his guard down. Calming Lou with some reassuring words, encouraging her to take a nap, he turned back to the golden jaw staring at him. Taking small steps, as quietly as he could from the low ceiling, he stopped his breathing.

His hand reached slowly toward the mask, and the realisation hit him. His finger passed over the chiral painted mask softly, a soft snore was the only reaction from the masked man.

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me? Was Sam first thought. Through the darkness, he could catch a glimpse of Higgs’ closed eyes. The biggest bad guy, the most searched terrorist leader, the supposedly scariest DOOMs holder everyone was after - this same guy was fucking napping in plain view? Not giving a damn about the world around him? Well, put like that, it could be something Higgs could do - if not for his burning passion to see the world burn. Was that something he often did? Did the UCA was this blind and unaware of their target’s lack of preservation?

Sam stayed for a minute there, shocked and upset not to know what to do. Sure, he could try to tie him up and give him away to the next distro center but if he was honest with himself, he didn’t feel like dragging another dead weight on his shoulders and he wasn’t sure Higgs would let him without resisting.

The asshole could jump and kill Sam in a snap of fingers, even if history proved him killing him was not on the terrorist’s list. And anyway, Sam wasn’t really fond of the Seam. Possibility to avoid? Taken.

Not being able to think of something useful for his situation, Sam decided for the only reasonable thought his brain gave him.

“Get the fuck out of my shelter.”

The kick was nicer than intend, barely pushing the man to his side - but he still jolted awake. Light sleeper, Sam can’t help but notice. Was he pissed at himself to let himself get confused over the wave of panic, the terror he saw in Higgs’ eyes through the sheds of the hood? The sudden lift of his arms, as to protect himself? Or was it Sam’s unintendedly lift of hands to calm the man down, reassuring him he wasn’t trying to hurt him? Wait, no- He should, and would beat him if the other psycho tried to fight.

What the fuck was going on?

“Oh Sammy, Sam!” Higgs put back his self-important mask as fast as it left - as if he wasn’t sound asleep the minute before. Leaning dangerously close toward him, Sam stepped back hurriedly. He expected a pit of tar to trap him in the ground, BTs rising to sink him with them but he only fell on his back, Higgs laughing loudly at his scarred face.

Still shocked to be here in one piece, Sam frowned even more. The asshole was crawling toward him, clearly mocking his fear - but this fear was slowly turning into confusion. Where were the eldritch monsters and the hands of the dead? The tar, knife and passionate jumps around?

Stepping back toward his cargo, he watched Higgs holding his ribs, a meter away from him. They were closer to the light which allowed Sam to see Higgs’ a little more clearly.

His golden mask was gone, his other black one missing, the hood weirdly destroyed. His messy hair hid part of his forehead tattoos and shaved eyebrows. His cheeks were tears stained, dry kohl and tar sliding down from his dark eyes. Was it to prevent people to stare into those stupid blue eyes, or be even more attracted to them? Still, he was a mess, concluded Sam to get his thoughts back on track.

Stupid charismatic asshole.

Watching him calm down to look back at him, another realization dawned on Sam.

“Don’t look at me like that, Sammy boy.” His voice lingered, his usual tempting voice. “I might get ideas from you-”

“You lost your DOOMs.” Sam blankly stated, barely questioning.

It did its trick to catch him off guard, the other man stopping midsentence. Sam could saw the bewildered eyes before they quickly get back to their deep blue glance.

As if Higgs could saw anything beyond the bones and flesh of Sam’s skull. As if he saw Sam like nobody ever did. How annoying was it to see the man go from pure madness to clear sanity. What did he even see, or crave to see in Sam?

“Sorry to disappoint you, goody two shoes,” He cheerfully sang. He got up as much as he could to crawl once more toward Sam. “I’m always as powerful as I ever will be to mess with your pretty head! I’m just..”

He licked his lips, his eyes inspecting every inch of Sam’s tired face - until he stared back deeply into Sam’s eyes. “Needed to recharge some batteries. Worry not though,” He chuckled again as he pushed Sam against the wall, amused by the uncertainty on his face. “I’ll leave you for now. I wouldn’t want our glorious final to happen in a dirty, wet cave..” He chuckled, licking Sam’s cheek before stepping back.

He breathed in deeply, fond of how Sam barely reacted expect from his disgusted face.

Staying and sitting in front of him, he smirked at Sam.

Confusion and apprehension could be read on his face. It thrilled Higgs to his core. To see Sam’s temptation to decrypt his actions, understand how his brain worked. Did he? Could he grab on the truth? Was he seeing the greatness of his actions? He couldn’t help but hope.

They didn’t know how long they stayed in front of each other, trying to predict the others’ actions, just starting into the others’ eyes until the rain stopped.

Sam was surprised and wondered for how long they stayed like that but in the end, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to do.

Crawling out and grabbing back Lou and his cargo, he kept an eye on the man. His face was still a mess of tar and makeup yet the smile his face wore made him s. The man closed his eyes, breathing deeply the air and Sam couldn’t stop himself from staring.

He knew his character. Fragile just retold him of her last encounter with him, it was still fresh in his mind - yet through glimpses like this one, Higgs seemed so different from these stories.

He seemed more than just a madman or an antagonist figure - the more he thought about it, it seemed.. staged. Like a puppet being played around. Here, he almost seemed.. At peace. At ease.

Free.

The shining ocean eyes turning back at him brought him back to reality.

No, he had to remember what happened to the cities, to Mama, to Fragile. To Amelie. Higgs was a lost cause, an unreasonable peace-breaker. Nothing Sam thought he saw in those bright blue eyes should put him away from these facts. Sam couldn’t help everyone. Not him. Right?

Right?

New tears started filling them, new black lines drawing in his skin. The air around Higgs started to tense. Sam could feel it, the heaviness yet lightness around Higgs as he got closer and closer before disappearing in a blink. Only the golden mask floated in the air in front of him for a second.

“I shall not let this soft moment hold me back next time,“ It mouthed, like a muppet. “Right, Sam, oh, Sam?”

And in a sharp blinking light, it was gone. Sam was left alone. Looking down on Lou, he pouted to her accusing stare.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that kid. We’re in one piece, right?”

One last look at where Higgs was, he straightened the straps on his shoulders and finish his last walk toward the distro center - not seeing the man standing from afar nor sensing his gaze following him.

“Til our next encounter, Sammy..”


End file.
